Wright device

ABSTRACT

This invention consists of a system that attaches to the helmet and an attachment system to the shoulder harness. Collectively called The Wright Device. The helmet attachment consists of a release buckle, web strapping, hooks, and adjusting slides. The hooks are attached to the eye opening of the helmet at three places. Two are at the sides of the eye port and one is at the center of the top of the eye port. The side hooks are connected by a continuous piece of webbing and adjusted to the helmet by the adjuster slides on the webbing. The hook centered in the middle of the top of the eye port is attached to the release buckle by a continuous piece of webbing. The release buckle reaches the bottom of the helmet in the rear, and is attached to the webbing strap between the side eye ports by sewing the two straps together. The attachment to the shoulder harness is by two straps that go from the release buckle attachment to two adjustors mounted on the shoulder harness. Webbing pieces are used in the shoulder harness adjusters to fill the adjuster.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a head and neck support device for use in high performance vehicles. In particular, the present invention relates to a head and neck support device which is attached to the helmet of the occupant of the vehicle and acts to transfer force away from the neck of the occupant through the device to the shoulder harness of the vehicle.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] The related art has also shown various types of head support devices for use for occupants of a vehicle. Illustrative are U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,510 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,566 to Hubbard, U.S. Pat No. 4,909,459 to Patterson: U.S. Pat. No. 4,923.147 to Adams et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,708 to Monson et al.

[0005] Hubbard describes a head and neck support device with tethers that are attached between the driver's helmet and the collar of the head and neck support device. The head and neck support device has a yoke integral with the collar that fits around the back of the occupant's shoulders, adjacent the neck, and on the front of the occupant's chest. The yoke has an opening so that the occupant can mount the head and neck support device by placing his head through the opening. In another embodiment of Applicant's original device, the yoke is provided with a slot in the front so that the occupant can put on the device from behind by sliding the device around his neck.

[0006] Patterson describes a head restraint device which connects the helmet of the occupant to the vehicle seat. The head restraint has a restraining strap which applies a single force to the head to restrain the head from horizontal forward motion and a strap assembly on the helmet to hold the head upright. The restraining strap pulls the head directly back near the middle of the head and helmet. The restraining strap only applies the force when the deceleration forces are above a predetermined level. The attachment of the strap to the helmet allows the helmet to rotate about a vertical axis approximately 180 degree. The restraint can also be connected to the torso of the occupant to simultaneously retract the head and the torso. The restraint must be detached for the occupant to exit the vehicle.

[0007] Adams et al describes a seat insert for a vehicle which maintains an occupant of the vehicle in a forward position during high G acceleration. The seat insert has a head support member for supporting the occupants head during a forward, leaning posture. A head support member restraint cord is provided to restrain the movement of the head support member during an occupant's forward lean. The top and bottom of the helmet are restrained to the head support member which is behind and above the top of the helmet. The head support member tends to resist motions of the occupants head which are downward due to accelerations. The seat insert also includes a back plate assembly connected to the head support member for supporting the spine in its natural curvature. The back plate assembly is able to pivot forward relative to the seat of the vehicle. The seat insert is able to transfer G-induced weight from the spine to the back plate assembly and ultimately to the existing seat of the vehicle. The seat insert restrains the occupant relative to the seat and must rely on restraint of the torso to be compatible with the head restraint for restraining the head relative to the torso.

[0008] Monson et al describes a head support apparatus which can be attached to a body support device. The apparatus includes a beam housing attachable to the body support device such as to be rigid in the y-z plane but to be rotatable about an x-axis. The x-axis is defined as extending through the subject's face to the back of the head. The y-axis is defined as extending laterally from ear to ear and the z-axis is defined as extending vertically from the top of the head through the subject's chin. A U-shaped rigid beam is mountable in a channel of the beam housing such that the beam is rigidly supported within the x-y plane but is able to be rotated about the x-axis. Helmet attachments are provided for supporting the helmet relative to the rigid beam within the x-z plane but allowing rotation of the helmet about the taxis.

[0009] There remains the need for a head and neck support device which is lightweight and easily mounted on the occupant without interfering with the occupants mobility or comfort and which transfers force away from the head and neck of the occupant to the support harness of the vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] This invention consists of a system that attaches to the helmet and an attachment system to the shoulder harness. Collectively called The Wright Device. The helmet attachment consists of a release button, web strapping, hooks, and adjusting slides. The hooks are attached to the eye opening of the helmet at three places. Two are at the sides of the eye port and one is at the center of the top of the eye port. The side hooks are connected by a continuous piece of webbing and adjusted to the helmet by the adjuster slides on the webbing. The hook centered in the middle of the top of the eye port is attached to the release button by a continuous piece of webbing. The release button reaches the bottom of the helmet in the rear, and is attached to the webbing strap between the side eye ports by sewing the two straps together. The attachment to the shoulder harness is by two straps that go from the release button attachment to two adjustors mounted on the shoulder harness. Webbing pieces are used in the shoulder harness adjusters to fill the adjuster.

[0011] The advantage of this invention over prior art is no restriction of head movement from side to side, no drilling of helmet to mount system, simple to adjust for different size drivers, can easily be moved from helmet to helmet for use. The design of this invention includes redundancy of the load path. Either the top strap or the side straps will carry the load.

DRAWING DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012]FIG. 1 shows the intermediate attachment (2) and the webbing (1) from the intermediate attachment (2) to the tethering system.

[0013]FIG. 2 shows the three inch adjuster (4) with the webbing (1) to the helmet and the shoulder harness webbing (3). Two of the three one inch-webbing (1) pieces are used to fill the adjuster (4).

[0014]FIG. 3 shows the helmet (5) and the Wright Device on the helmet. The positioning of the flat hooks (6) and the webbing (1) are shown.

[0015]FIG. 4 shows the Wright Device. Webbing flat hooks (6), webbing (1) and intermediate release buckle (7) are shown.

[0016]FIG. 5 shows the positioning of the webbing flat hooks (6), the one-inch webbing adjuster (4) and the intermediate release buckle (7).

[0017]FIG. 6 shows the webbing flat hook (6), one-inch webbing adjuster (4), the webbing (1) and how the webbing (1) is wrapped around the one-inch webbing adjuster (4).

[0018]FIG. 7 shows the Wright Device Kit with webbing flat hooks (6), one inch webbing adjuster (4), webbing (1), “O” ring (8) tying the webbing (1) together and the intermediate release buckle (7).

[0019]FIG. 8 shows the webbing flat hook (6), the webbing (1), the one-inch webbing adjuster (4), the “O” ring (8), the intermediate release buckle (7) and how the webbing (1) is threaded through the parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] This invention consists of a system that attaches to the helmet and an attachment system to the shoulder harness. Collectively called The Wright Device. The helmet attachment consists of a release button, web strapping, hooks, and adjusting slides. The hooks are attached to the eye opening of the helmet at three places. The straps are also attached to helmet by velcro which holds the device in place during use and storage. Two hooks are attached at the sides of the eye port and one hook is attached at the center of the top of the eye part. The side hooks are connected by a continuous piece of webbing and adjusted to the helmet by the adjuster slides on the webbing. The hook centered in the middle of the top of the eye port is attached to the release button by a continuous piece of webbing and is adjusted to the helmet by an adjuster slide at the top of the helmet. The release button reaches the bottom of the helmet in the rear and is attached to the strap by sewing it in a loop of webbing. The strap assembly from the release button to the top of the eye opening is attached to the webbing strap between the side eye ports by sewing the two straps together. The release button and the attachment to it are taken from a non-retractable seat belt mechanism. The attachment to the shoulder harness is by two straps that go from the release button attachment to two adjustors mounted on the shoulder harness. Webbing pieces are used in the shoulder harness adjusters to fill the adjuster used on the shoulder harness belt. 

1. A head and neck support device for an occupant of a high performance vehicle with a shoulder harness over shoulders of the occupant and a helmet on a head of the occupant and with a horizontal level center of gravity of the head and helmet combined at about eye level of the occupant which comprises: a. a restraining means including webbing straps attached to the eye opening of the helmet at three locations by means of webbing hooks, two at both sides of the eye opening which are load bearing and one at the top of the eye opening which also is load bearing, either of which can carry the load and as such are redundant and are attached to each other at the back of the helmet just above and attached through; b. an intermediate attachment consisting of a buckle and attachment from a non-retractable seat belt which is part of; c. a tethering system attached between the helmet and the shoulder harness consisting of webbing straps connected to an adjuster mounted on the shoulder harness wherein the tethering means provides a restraint and wherein during normal vehicle operation or in a crash, the device transmits forces to the restraining means from the tethering means and the load bearing surfaces of the restraining means transmit forces from the restraining means to the shoulder belts of the shoulder harness to allow the shoulder harness to provide resistance to the tethering means through the restraining means thereby reducing the motions of the head relative to the torso and forces being transmitted to the neck of the occupant which may cause fatigue and injury in vehicle operation or in a crash.
 1. The restraining means in claim 1 wherein the device is adjustable to fit the helmet by means of adjusters.
 2. The restraining means in claim 1 wherein the device may use a fourth webbing hook at the bottom of the back of the helmet.
 3. The restraining means in claim 1 wherein velcro is used to attach parts of the webbing to the helmet.
 4. The restraining means in claim 1 wherein the top webbing strap is one continuous piece.
 5. The restraining means in claim 1 wherein the side webbing strap can be continuous and sewn to the top strap at the back of the helmet just above the intermediate attachment release buckle or two pieces attached to the top strap by a ring attached to the top strap by adjusters just above th intermediate attachment release buckle.
 6. The intermediate attachment in claim 1 wherein the release buckle may be modified for remote release.
 7. The tethering system in claim 1 wherein the tether is adjustable to fit by means of the webbing straps attached to the intermediate attachment.
 8. The tethering system in claim 1 wherein the tether may be connected to: a. the roll cage by means of wrapping around a roll bar tube b. the car by means of fasteners with seat belt hardware c. a full body harness. 